1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to Internet connections. More particularly, the present invention relates to a new connection platform for connecting to the Internet that provides an ease of use to a user as does a phone jack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Internet Appliances Vs. Internet-Ready Appliances
Internet appliances already appear in the form of Web enabled televisions, screen phones, Web Tablets, and Email Readers, that take advantage of the Internet to send and receive data, browse Web sites, and other computer-type activities. Internet appliances may be characterized as requiring an Internet connection for primary usage, or as being permanently attached to an Internet link. In the latter case, the device may not need to be on-line continuously, but might always be attached to a phone jack or to some other Internet connection.
A new class of devices will soon emerge that will use the Internet to simply augment primary functions, and that will not require a permanent hook up to an Internet link nor will even require the Internet to function. Of such herein cited portable and/or Internet optional function devices (herein referred to interchangeably as Internet-ready devices or appliances), connection is required only when updating, sending, or receiving information. Internet-ready device categories may include, but are not limited to, toys, electronic books, personal health monitors, and MP-3 players, for example. A child's toy or an electronic book may need only to connect to a specific Web site when downloading new content. After downloading the content, the device may be taken anywhere to be played with or used. Other devices such as digital cameras may need only to be connected when sending pictures to a photo-developing center, to relatives, or to remote displays.
A notable characteristic of Internet-ready devices is that they are all mass market consumer electronic type products, and as such have very real cost and price constraints. It is noted that embedding necessary logic to connect a device to the Internet means adding a modem, a CPU, a network stack, memory, and miscellaneous glue logic to the device. While the costs of adding such components are decreasing, for example, adding $10-$20 in parts, it is noted that adding such cost to a device selling for $25 is probably not practical.
Using the PC as the Connection
Today the PC is used as an interfacing device for the new class of Internet-ready appliances. The percentage of households owning PC's continues to grow, making a PC a more prevalent platform on which to base a solution. An Internet enabled PC will already have a modem installed, along with a powerful processor, advanced operating system, and more than sufficient memory. The PC can easily accept new software drivers to communicate to attached devices, through serial ports, parallel ports, USB's, 1394's, or any other input-output (I/O) bus structure. However, there are many well-documented problems with the solution of using PC's as the connection, such problems including ease of use, cost, and security. These issues make the PC an expensive and cumbersome solution at best, and an intimidating and adoption hindrance in the worst case.
A computer, with all of the advances in technology, is the most sophisticated and technically complicated product in many households. Installing device drivers, successfully attaching an appliance, and configuring network connections are not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the typical consumer electronics user. While driver installation is automated in recent releases, resolving driver conflicts and configuring parameters is not a task with which most users can cope. If an Internet-ready device is a child's toy, the process described herein above would most likely require adult supervision or visa-versa in many homes. Therefore, the process may be one that could not be performed by anyone. Techno-phobia may be enough to keep the solution of installing device drivers, successfully attaching an appliance, and configuring network connections from becoming the one of choice.
Cost is another major concern with using the PC as the connection platform. While a more than capable PC can be obtained for well under $1000 today, the price tag is still beyond the point where people can afford to put one in every room of the house. Clearly, a proper solution is one in which the price of the connection feature makes it possible for homes to have multiple ports. The price of a telephone is a good analogy. When the cost of a phone was relatively high, most families had one phone centrally located within the home. As the cost of a phone dropped, people began putting one in every bedroom, the den, and even the bathroom.
Security and data integrity is another issue with using computers as the Internet connection platform. Various entry points in the upload and download process can be altered by users because the computer is not a closed system, thereby possibly violating the intended use by manufacturers. Take, for example, imagining a parent's concern if adult audio clips are downloaded into talking toys, or if downloadable game consoles access unauthorized pirate sites. These are concerns that also worry manufacturers of Internet-ready appliances, because it's their image, reputation, and revenues that are affected. Safe guards, such as, for example, the RSAC initiative, help in providing a process by which only intended content may be downloaded. However, this type of rating scheme depends upon compliant browsers and upon proper browser setup to be effective. Also, such rating scheme cited herein above does not prevent a user from accessing unauthorized sites.
Clearly, a new connection platform is needed to service the class of Internet-ready appliances. The new connection platform must meet required cost, security, and ease of use points that today are lacking in a computer oriented solution. At the same time the new connection platform must provide a standard connection port and must offer performance levels to which consumer electronic users have become accustomed. System crashes and long boot times are accepted behaviors in a PC world, however, are causes for product returns for normal personal electronics. It would therefore be advantageous to provide a preferred solution that is as stable as a television, and as cost affordable as a telephone.
It would be advantageous to provide a new connection platform that makes it possible to have such a new connection platform for each possible Internet connection point in the home, whether the possible Internet connection point is a telephone jack, cable connection, or other means.
It would be advantageous to provide a new connection platform system that is closed. That is, at no point does a user have to intervene or provide any additional information. When such a system is closed, the Internet connection only goes to the site specified by the appliance.
It is noted that the prior art is using PC's as the connection to the Internet.
It is also noted that prior art combines Internet related components into one device, such as, for example, the Web TV box that contains, but is not limited to, a modem, protocol handler, network stack, Internet interface and telephone interface.